House Elestar
Subracial Type: Ar'Tel'Quessir (Sun elf). Founded: Roughly -23,900 DR, in the kingdom of Aryvandaar. Location: Myth Drannor, partially Semberhole and (Old) Elven Court, formerly Aryvandaar. Seal/Arms & House Colors: Gold dragon's head cabossed sunbeam coroneted all or against escutcheon azure, Espruar inscription of the clan's name; house colors are royal blue (shades from light up to midnight blue), snow white and gold. Common Languages: Elven (Noble Family's Accent: Noble/High-born, Archaic Elven; General Dialect: high~: Gold, low~: Aryvandan), Draconic, and Common. History: Elestar was among the first clans who settled in Aryvandaar. The early House Elestar was a comparatively modest noble house, noted for its Gold Dragonflight, which played vital role in consolidating elven control ofer the realms at the time of the so called First Flowering. The house has had also talented spell casters and resolute scholars. Earlierst mentions of House Elestar in Arywandaar date back around -23,900 DR tell of the clan becoming a prominent sun elf noble house of the realm on merit of the military might of the Elestar Dragonflight and the exponential growth of the clan's lore and knowledge in cultural worth, education, and mostly in the magical arts (especially arcane). In the prosperity of the haydays of Aryvandaar, House Elestar became noted also as a collecting place of the greatest enchanters of the time. Despite its ambitious thirst for knowledge and the power it supposedly conferred, House Elestar was not a political clan even if it was involved in a number of other concerns of the general goverment of the kingdom. Its headquarters was called Orien Tier, a terraced plaza with adjacent towers within the city of Sharlarion. The clan mantaines its neutral yet loyal nexus with the court of the all-time Coronal of Sharlarion to up to the rise of the Vyshaan clan in -15,300 DR. As the First Crown War broke out (approximately in -12,000 DR), House Elestar became a stern pacifist organization and with it a political opponent of the Vyshaan dynasty. During this time the Elestar clan abandoned all its militaristic activities such as its favored Dragonflight. Consequently its noble house status was null and void and the clan, as a whole, was quick and contet to go into exile. Later the clansfolk were said to answerthe summons of the Seldarine to venture to the site which became Old Elven Court one month after the Descent of the Drow in -10,000 DR, to settle differences and restore the peace among the elves. The clan gave any assistance it could in judgment and/or rebuilding. Toward the end of the Fifth Crown War in -9,000 DR the entire clan left Aryvandaar for the Elven Court and from -8000, for Semberholme. At the same time a small and varying group of clan members was sent to Evermeet. They next settled in Arcorar in -8000 DR in Semberholme where the clan built a tree dwelling high at the treetops as a safe haven to the children, mothers and elders of the clan while others lived also in Old Elven Court. A minor and over the time varying company of the clan were sent to Evermeet to claim clan real estate and property on the Island of the Elves, to hold the place, and to deputize House Elestar on the Green Isle. The clan settled next time as House Elestar in the fresh-unified realm of Cormanthyr and resided in the city of Cormanthor. The birth of the fabled elven imperial capital city was in -3983 DR, started with the Summoning of the Rule Tower. The city slowly grew around it, as grew the splendid Villa Elestar from the ground in the form of a grand tree dwelling via High Magic ritual next to Oacenth’s Stream, reaching its final shape in the third rysaar of the realm, under Coronal Sinaht Irithyl's rule, who took an elestar daughter as her first wife (prior to his ascension to the throne) - elevating the Elestar name to regal status. Queen Consort Laerune however mysteriously disappeared without a trace a few decades ago, which still is the source of hearsay and wild speculations. It was the next elected matriarch of the clan, Lady Halanaestra Elestar who knotted ties with House Irithyl, giving birth to her second son to the Coronal's brother - albeit outside of the bond of marriage. In Cormanthyr Elestar was considered a loyal yet remote noble house. By the second third of the third rysaar of Cormanthyr (early -1900s DR) House Elestar rose to prominence and complemented the splendid Villa Elestar with three keeps and three ingenious towers around their older, grand, petrified tree dwelling, realized by the clan archmage at the time, Aldraehem Elestar - an Elaorman architect, who too holds the Miritar Villa done about the same century to his name. Myth Drannor: By the time of the Opening of the renamed capital, Myth Drannor, to the N'Tel'Quess ("not people" – non-elves) House Elestar was counted among the twelve greatest noble houses of Cormanthor, for one reason by virtue of being among the empire's eraliest citizens. Villa Elestar stood proud with its three lofty towers, its emormous tree dwelling and three keeps interconnecting them and enclosing the courtyard in-between. In its entirety it filled out a complete city block, a triangle bordered by Darthil street, Shandol street and Oacenth's stream. Actually given its form of structure the villa was not acceccible in any way other than a levitating platform rising to an elevated main gate on the largest tower, 'Minas Noore'. This was both postured as a status-symbol and also an inclination for deliberate isolation. Another tree dwelling in Semberholme was also in function. It was mainly used by pregnant clanswomen, newborn and juvenile children and by the bulk of the clan's elderly folk as well. Those members who declined the Opening of the city of Cormanthor (Myth Drannor) also choose the secluded and pure elven community of Semberholme or moved to Evermeet outright. House Elestar did not oppose the Opening of the city to the N'Tel'Quess. Although earlier, when Coronal Eltargrim Irithyl requested the two Selu'Taar (High Mage) of the Elestars: Lord Seldarion Elestar and her daughter, Arcana Elestar in 219 DR to hand over some required High Magic Secrets for the raising of the would-be Mythal over the opened city before the Coronal and other High Mages, the two was unwilling to do so. However they shared later the wanted secrets before Mythantor as a tribute to the coronal and Cormanthor in general. The mage Mythantor later became the prime caster of Myth Drannor's "Mythal" raising rite, weaving the magic he was handed over to an epic level wizardly spell and who too gave his name to the virtually lost-to-time but uncovered arcane binding art, and eventually his life as well. Lord Celdarion, and Arcana Elestar warned him to such sacrifice might be made if he is really willing to perfom the ritual of his own interpretation. This behavior of them was exemplar to illustrate the cautiously benevolent nature of the clan, and also revealed the formidable hoard of arcane knowledge, what the Elestar clan were - as it seemed to be the case - rightfully suspected to possess. The house learned the way to come to term with the newcomer folks of Myth Drannor, as also learned how to make a profit from the Opening. Turning it for their own benefit, Elestars opened a public library in Villa Elestar to accept N’Tel’Quess lore and information influx in turn. This library was made accessible brom the street level. On the other hand, they sealed the clans own private Elestar Library from all non-elves, and banned everyone but a select clan members form this other, secret library. They accepted the new multiracial culture of the capital city and tried to live within it promoting synergy. Aside of maintaining their open private library, House Elestar was a noted prducer of various sensory record apparati and sensory stones to store, record and play visual and auditory sensations as well as magical scribing and reading tools, all enchanted and patented by the clan. These apparent feats made House Elestar one of the most respected or even popular noble houses in the eyes of both elves and non-elves of the era and realm, despite their generally reclusive and - as it was often tought to be - unapprochable nature. The article describes House Elestar as in 650 DR. - the basic time of Forgotten Realms, Arcane Age, Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves Campaign Setting. For recent lore please visit House Elestar webpage linked below. *House Elestar wiki site Category:Lore